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Shakira in Punta del Este, Uruguay

Shakira performed in Punta del Este Uruguay before a small crowd of 5,000 people on Sunday, March 6th, at the Conrad Hilton Hotel. The 90 minute show included a broad selection of her work and was accompanied with bold costumes and Shakira’s patented hip moves.

The concert was held in an outdoor parking lot behind the Conrad Hotel and Casino, where a temporary stage and bleachers were constructed for summer fashion shows and events. The concert sold out more than month before the show. Many people who couldn’t get tickets peered from hotel balconies and filled the outdoor area near the Conrad Hotel to hear the music.

Shakira opened the show wearing a pink overdress singing, “Pienso en ti”. She then tore off the dress revealing a gold top and black pants. During the concert she performed songs from the full spectrum of her career including “Años Luz”, “Te dejo Madrid”, “Si te vas”, "Suerte" (Whenever, Wherever), "Inevitable", and "Ciega Sordomuda". She also performed songs from her album, Sale El Sol.

The show closed with the hits “Ojos asi”, “Hips Don’t Lie”, - and for the finale “Waka Waka”, from Sale El Sol, which was the official song of the 2010 World Cup tournament in South Africa.

Shakira arrived at the Punta del Este airport by private plane at 5 am on Sunday morning after a late performance in Buenos Aires the night before. She arrived with an entourage of 100, which included tour managers, musicians, dancers, stage hands, technicians, private security, as well as friends and family.

However, the pink was torn away
and the Punta del Este show
continued in Gold and Black

Shakira is a regular visitor to Punta del Este, where she has a chacra (a country estate) in the community of José Ignacio. However, her visit on Sunday was a short stopover and she spent a restful day in the 16th and 17th floor penthouse of the Conrad Hotel before starting the show at 11:30 pm.

Shakira’s performance in Punta del Este is part of a 24 concert Latin America tour. Before coming to Uruguay, Shakira performed three shows in Argentina. After Uruguay, Shakira went to Asunción, Paraguay. The Latin American tour goes until mid-April 2011 with concerts scheduled in Chile, Columbia, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama.

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born in Barranquilla, Colombia. Commentators will often allude that there is more to Shakira than hair and hips. She has staying power and people from all strata of society and from all over the world seem to appreciate her.

Some point out that Shakira is a true world music talent. Her career has explored a variety of rhythms, music, and dance moves from almost every continent. From Latin, Moorish, African, Arabic, and modern electronica – Shakira can do it all and mix it up. Music critics during her current tour have commented on her ability to take Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” and revise it to a Samba rhythm.

But being a genuine musical talent as well as a sexy stage star, is just part of it. Latin America is rising in world prominence, and Shakira is a ready cultural symbol. She grew to become a world icon while maintaining her Latin American identity.

When she is not making music and performing, Shakira gives her time and money opening schools to enable poor children in Columbia and other countries to get an education - so that they will have a chance to make their dreams come true.

One more thing: When Shakira was in Punta del Este, there were gossip photographers and reporters crawling all over the place trying to get pictures and seeing if they could dig up any dirt. And they did. It turns out that after eating a healthy meal, Shakira often likes to eat something sweet.